Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "kunnen" in Dutch?

Q: How do you pronounce kunnen in Dutch?

kunnen is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /ˈkʏnə(n)/. It means “to be able to / can.” KUH-nuh — the u is a short rounded vowel, not the "uh" of English "cut."

KUH-nuh — the u is a short rounded vowel, not the "uh" of English "cut."

kunnen /ˈkʏnə(n)/

Both syllables sound almost alike — KUH-nuh — because both vowels are central and weakish, though the beat belongs firmly to the first. The trick is to give that one clear rounding and real duration so the contrast is audible; otherwise the word turns into an undifferentiated mumble.

Listen: kunnen

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Sound it out

k Unaspirated, released without the burst of air English gives "could." Hold your hand in front of your mouth to check.

u Central tongue position with the lips slightly pursed. English speakers usually forget the rounding, which flattens the word noticeably.

nn One n in speech; the doubling on paper exists to keep the u short.

en Because the first syllable is also centralised, this ending is nearly a copy of it — the word ends up as two near-identical mumbles unless you lengthen the stressed one.

Hear it in a sentence

Kun je me helpen?

Can you help me?

Listen: Kun je me helpen?

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"Kun je me helpen?" uses the irregular stem "kun" rather than "kan" specifically because "je" follows in an inverted question — one of the small stem alternations Dutch keeps alive. The infinitive "helpen" waits at the end, which is where modals always send their partner verb.

Where English speakers slip

The vowel is the whole battle. English speakers say "CUN-nen" with the unrounded vowel of "fun," losing the lip rounding entirely. Purse the lips a little and the word snaps into place. Beginners also aspirate the initial k, and they often say the doubled n as a genuinely long consonant, which no Dutch speaker does.